Gleason Community Fund loans money to Old Newsboys for statue

From left, Chris Hamilton, Executive Director of the Old Newsboys of Flint, receives a check from Janice Buchanan of the Gleason Community Fund. Continuing left are: Calvin McQueen of the Gleason Community Fund, Santa Claus, John Gleason, director of the Gleason Community Fund, and Gary Gould, a Gleason board member. Photo by Gary Nickel

GENESEE COUNTY — The Gleason Community Fund, a non-profit organization committed to helping educate the public about organ donation, loaned $10,000 to the Old Newsboys of Flint, Nov. 1.

The Community Fund, founded by Genesee County Clerk John Gleason, gave the Old Newsboys the $10,000 it needs to install a statue at Flint Bishop Airport which commemorates the Newsboys organization and all it does for children in Genesee County.

The $30,000 statue, which has been funded entirely through private donations, needed just $10,000 for completion, but the Old Newsboys needed to be able to focus its money right now toward providing Christmas for Genesee County children in need.

“It’s nice to have this obligation behind us,” said Gleason, who also serves on the Old Newsboys of Flint Board of Directors. “This way it will not conflict with the kids.”

He said the statue is in remembrance of all the things Old Newsboys has done for children since it was founded in 1924. It will depict an autoworker from the 1920s pulling a newspaper delivery bag filled with toys and clothing.

Minus a $500 donation by the Gleason Community Fund, the remaining $9,500 will be repaid sometime after the holiday season has ended and remaining donations for the statue are collected.

“By John helping with the final $10,000, we paid all of it off,” said Old Newsboys of Flint Executive Director Chris Hamilton. “With the loss this year of members Frank McCarty and Joel ‘Joe’ Florida it’s important it goes up this year.”

(Editor’s note: Gary Gould of the View Newspapers is a board member of the Gleason Community Fund.)